Fatboy Slim has to be one of the most unpredictable acts in music today. From serving people their coffee at his cafe to hosting a gig on Brighton Beach which caused the city to run out of booze, he has certainly earned the title as the the king of unpredictability.
That is why Fatboy Slim’s latest stunt at a Melbourne fish and chip shop didn’t come to push surprise. The 61-year-old DJ, real name Norman Cook, threw down a surprise set inside a tiny fish and chip shop in Melbourne’s St Kilda, because apparently, nothing screams “dancefloor” like battered fish and minimum chips.
The Northern Soul Chip Shop, which usually serves up salt and vinegar with a side of nostalgia, was suddenly packed shoulder-to-shoulder with fans losing their minds. Witnesses say Cook climbed up onto the counter, turned it into a makeshift DJ booth, and unleashed a set that turned the small takeaway joint into an impromptu club. Someone from Channel Nine tried to get a mid-set interview, but Fatboy Slim shut it down instantly, shouting: “I can’t talk now, I’m working, but thank you.”
The shop had teased the gig on Instagram earlier in the day, and word clearly spread fast. A place that normally serves late-night chips to St Kilda locals ended up hosting one of the wildest pop-up gigs of the year.
Cook is currently in Australia for his Fatboy Slim Loves Australia tour, proving once again that he’ll take any excuse to pop back down here. He even admitted on The Project that he just keeps showing up. “I’d still come like a drunk uncle if I wasn’t invited,” he joked.
This isn’t the first time he’s pulled something like this. The guy has a history of throwing surprise gigs in unexpected places, and at this point, it’s part of his brand. One minute he’s headlining festivals, the next he’s dropping beats between deep fryers and soft drink fridges.
